The present invention is directed to a stalk divider for a harvesting assembly, having a deflector, that can be pivoted between an operating position and a transport position and that can be held in the operating position and the transport position.
A stalk divider that can be pivoted about a vertical pivot axis between an operating position and a transport position is disclosed by DE 24 54 479 A. The stalk divider is held in these two positions by means of a single spring loaded latch that is located above the pivot axis.
EP 0 539 735 A shows a stalk divider for a combine that can be pivoted about a joint between an operating position and a transport position with a pivot axis extending vertically. The device is locked by a socket pin that extends through holes in the pivoted and the fixed part of the stalk divider.
EP 1 036 495 A discloses a stalk divider that can be pivoted by a joint between an operating position and a transport position about a pivot axis extending inclined forward and inward. A cotter pin is used here for the holding by inserting it through corresponding holes in the housing of the joint. The position of the holes is not described in any further detail.
With the known stalk dividers that can be pivoted between an operating and a transport position, the dimensioning of the arresting location of the joint is seen as problematical. If the locking arrangement is located too close to the pivot axis, the point of the stalk divider has a large amount of play, that can lead to irregular edges of the harvested crop during the harvesting process. If it is removed further from the pivot axis, elements projecting to the sides are required that are needed for holding the stalk divider in the transport position. On these elements projecting to the sides stalks of the cereal crop can become entangled that can lead to jams. When these jams occur, the result is the so-called pushing of the cutter head, which signifies that the stalk divider no longer performs its function, but only pushes the stalks downward and/or forward, resulting in harvesting losses.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pivoted stalk divider, that has little play at the point of the stalk divider during harvesting, but on which as few stalks as possible become entangled.
The pivot joint of the stalk divider has two locking elements. A first locking element is arranged to arrest the jointxe2x80x94and therewith the deflectorxe2x80x94in the operating position. A second locking element is arranged to arrest the joint in the transport position. The first locking element is spaced at a greater distance from the pivot axis than the second locking element.
In this way the deflector has only a small amount of play in the operating position, since the first locking element is effectively spaced relatively far from the pivot axis. The second locking element is effective in the transport position in which it is not noticeably troublesome if the stalk divider point has a greater amount of play due to the smaller spacing between the pivot axis and the second locking element. The smaller distance between the pivot axis and the second locking element, however, makes it possible to keep the sideways dimensions of the joint more compact, so that hardly any stalks can become entangled with it. It should be noted that it does not matter whether the locking elements are pivoted with the deflector or remain stationary. The corresponding detent elements, with which the locking elements interact for the holding, are then either stationary or are pivoted with the deflector.
Preferably the first and the second locking elements are located along a straight line that extends through the pivot axis and in the forward operating direction of the stalk divider. Thereby both locking elements are located ahead of or behind the pivot axis, while (in the case of pivoted locking elements) they are located to the side in the transport position. The detent elements that interact in the transport position with the second locking element, require only a relatively small spacing to the side from the pivot axis, so that any entanglement of stalks of the crop need not be feared. Furthermore, the arrangement of both locking elements on a straight line makes it possible to couple them mechanically, so that they can be operated manually together.
It has been shown to be advantageous that a spring brings the first and/or the second locking element into a detent position. The spring is preferably coupled with both locking elements, it forces the locking element into a correspondingly fixed detent element, that can be pivoted with the deflector or remain stationary. The locking element can be released from the detent element against the force of the spring manually or by any other desirable means, so that the deflector can be pivoted freely.
In the illustrated embodiment the spring is arranged in a tube retaining the deflector. The first and/or the second locking element can also be arranged within the tube. They can be arranged there so as to move between a detent position and a release position, for example, they can be shifted. The result here is a compact configuration on which stalks of the crop can hardly become entangled. The tube containing the spring and the locking elements may be stationary or pivot with the deflector. It should be noted that such a configuration of a spring with a locking element in a tube could also be used if the deflector is arrested by one and the same locking element in the operating position and the transport position as is the case in the state of the art described.
As has already been noted, the locking elements interact with the detent elements associated with them, where either the locking elements or the detent elements are stationary and the other elements are pivoted with the deflector. As detent elements a cut out can be used, for example, in any desirable element such as a plate-shaped element.
Because of the differing distances between the pivot axis on the one hand and the first or the second locking element on the other hand, the detent elements, as a rule, are also located at differing distances from the pivot axis. In order to avoid collisions an obvious solution is to arrange a detent element below the pivot bearing arrangement and a detent element above the pivot bearing arrangement. Here the detent elements can be arranged in particular in a single retainer that encloses a carrier in a U-shaped component. As a rule the carrier is a tube and is either coupled to the deflector or is stationary.
The stalk divider according to the invention can be applied to all types of harvesting assemblies, such as mower headers, corn heads or pickers. The harvesting assembly front attachment can be applied, in particular, to harvesting machines, such as combines or forage harvesters. The joint can also be supplied as a separate element and mounted on separate or already existing stalk dividers.